LOCATION MENZEL WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, mesic Andic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Menzel silt loam, pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi-0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed thick matted roots.
Ap-1 to 5 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) medial silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; many very fine, common fine and few medium and coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bw-5 to 10 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) medial silt loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; many very fine, common fine, medium and coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
2BC--10 to 17 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very fine sandy loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and very weakly smeary; many very fine, common fine, medium and coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
2C1--17 to 32 inches; light olive brown (2.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, pale yellow (5Y 7/3) dry; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
2C2--32 to 60 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) fine sandy loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 6/4) dry; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; thin discontinuous strata of loamy sand and loamy fine sand 1/2 to 1 inch thick; few common very fine and fine roots; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Snohomish County, Washington; 600 feet east and 450 feet north of SW corner of section 32, T.30N.,R.7E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 48 to 52 degrees F. The particle size control section averages to 10 percent rock fragments and 5 to 18 percent clay.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist or dry. It has granular or subangular blocky structure. This horizon is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 through 7 moist or dry, and chroma of 4 through 6 moist or dry. It is silt loam, very fine sandy loam or loam. This horizon is slightly acid or neutral.
The 2BC horizon is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam. It is slightly acid or neutral.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 through 6 moist, 5 through 7 dry , and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam. This horizon is slightly acid or neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arts, Cathcart, Cathlamet, Chelan, Pastik, Sulsavar, and Waits series. Arts and Waits soils are frigid. Cathcart, Cathlamet, Chelan, Pastik, and Sulsavar soils are medial. Also, Cathcart soils have 15 to 35 percent soft siltstone and sandstone fragments in the particle size control section. Pastik soils have mottles or matrix colors with a chroma of 2 or less in the lower part of the control section and are moderately well drained. Sulsavar soils have 15 to 35 percent pebbles in the particle size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Menzel soils are on terraces above the normal floodplain at elevations of 200 to 500 feet. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in silty alluvium and volcanic ash. The mean annual precipitation is 40 to 70 inches. The mean January temperature is 35 degrees F.; the mean July temperature is 62 degrees F.; and the mean annual temperature is 49 degrees F. The frost free period is 140 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Sultan and Nargar soils and the competing Pastik and Sulsavar soils. Sultan soils lack a cambic horizon. Nargar soils are underlain by sand.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for hay and pasture land. Native vegetation is Douglas fir, western hemlock, western red cedar and swordfern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Snohomish County, Washington and possibly Skagit and Whatcom counties. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Snohomish County, Washington, 1979.
REMARKS: These soils were mapped as Lynden and Sultan series in the 1947 Soil Survey Report of Snohomish County.
Diagnostic horizons and features included in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - from 5 to 17 inches (Bw and 2BC horizons)
Andic feature - assumed bulk density of less than 1g/cc and ammonium oxalate aluminum plus one-half iron of 1.0 to 1.9 percent.
The soil moisture regime needs further investigation as to being moist for less than 45 consecutive days in the summer (udic) based on the presence of western hemlock.
All depths to diagnostic horizons and features within the range of characteristics, are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial lab data S-78-WA-6-1, 1 through 5.